Charco del Palo

The small village of Charco del Palo, Lanzarote is on the north-east coast, near the villages of Mala and Guatiza which are 3km away. These villages are served by the bus service which runs from Arrecife to the north of the island. Most of the land is in the municipality of Haria, and a small part is in the municipality of Teguise. It is well known as a favourite destination for naturists, who have been going there for over 30 years. It is the home for up to 200 people, mainly naturists from a range of countries, and they live in bungalows and apartments with a few basic services. It is a volcanic coastline with cliffs, and away from the main tourist resorts. Tracks lead down the cliffs to small coves and beaches. Charco de Palo is a group of natural pools and nudist beaches. The natural pools, fill and empty with the tide, and offer an ideal place for nude bathing.

There are three coves in Charco del Palo, with two natural pools at each end of the village, which are well laid out with stone walls and steps. When the tide is in the pools are full, and then they empty when the tide goes out. The pools also remain calm even when the sea outside is rough.

At the northern pool there is space to play beach volleyball and other games, whilst having a drink, and so is different to the other beaches. Also in this area, near Mala, are the Bañadero de Guatiza and Playa de la Gatita which offer different experiences for swimming and sunbathing.

In Charco del Palo, Lanzarote, there are apartments available for holiday rentals for anyone looking for a quiet, naturist retreat. The resort is basically a nudist village, as nudity is allowed. The village is at the end of a 3 kilometre road, off the main road, so this keeps the resort quiet and private. It was first built in the early 1970’s by Gregor Kaiser from Germany, and from then on it became a resort for naturists. It is not a private resort so the public can visit and swim in the coves. The resort is built on a sandy area at the top of the volcanic cliffs. There are bar restaurants and a small supermarket, where customers do have to wear clothes to visit.

The original name for the resort was Castillo de Papagayo, but this was changed as there was the Papagayo beach in southern Lanzarote. So Charco del Palo was adopted as the name, which refers to the natural pool which already existed.

So, if you are looking for a quiet place to relax in the sun, or for a naturist place to sunbathe and swim, then the Charco del Palo, Lanzarote is the place to go. Further up the coast are the Punta Mujeres and the Jameos del Agua, so they could be incorporated into an interesting visit to this part of the coast.